BREAKING: The Moratorium is on hold for project swan data center
Lakeland Data Center Moratorium On Hold Until Full Commission Can Weigh In
Citrus Tea Staff
A proposed 12-month moratorium on large-scale data center applications in Lakeland is on hold this morning, with three city commissioners absent from today’s agenda study session and a full commission vote required before any ordinance can move forward.
The four commissioners present, Stephanie Madden, Terry Coney, Guy LaLonde Jr., and Ashley Troutman, signaled support for the moratorium and directed City Attorney Palmer Davis to begin drafting an ordinance. But with three commission members absent, the session produced direction only, not a decision.
Davis confirmed the moratorium cannot be placed on the commission’s agenda without meeting public notice requirements for zoning-related ordinances. The earliest the full commission could hold a first public hearing is July 6, followed by a second reading and final vote on July 20.
The discussion was prompted by weeks of public opposition to Project Swan, a proposed 600,000-square-foot data center on approximately 60.5 acres of undeveloped land near Old Tampa Highway and Wilkinson Road in west Lakeland. The proposal drew hundreds of public comments and packed a recent commission meeting. The developer later canceled a Development Review Team meeting after receiving 13 pages of feedback from city staff. The project remains active while the developer reviews city findings.
A key issue driving the moratorium push: Lakeland’s land development code does not currently define or regulate large-scale data centers, leaving the city without a legal framework to evaluate or condition such proposals.
The full commission will have the first opportunity to weigh in at the July 6 public hearing.
This story will be updated.
Sources: Lakeland City Commission Agenda Study Session, June 12, 2026; City of Lakeland, lakelandgov.net; LkldNow, June 11, 2026.
Disclaimer: The Citrus Tea News is not here to tell you how to vote. We bring you the information so you can make your own informed decisions.
